It is well understood in the painting industry and in the home repair industry to use paint rollers to apply paint to walls, ceilings, or other surfaces within a home or building, in order to provide the desired paint finish. The paint roller generally includes an applicator with an inner tube and an outer nap that is secured to the tube. Naps vary in texture and thickness and are designed to absorb paint which is subsequently applied to the desired surface. The typical paint roller further includes an elongated cylindrical metal frame or spindle that slides into the inner tube of the paint roller applicator and a handle secured to one end of the spindle. The cylindrical frame rotates about an axis on the handle to provide rotation of the nap and enhance application of the paint to the desired surface.
Cleaning the applicator is sometimes the most difficult portion of the painting process because it is messy and time consuming. Large commercial size applicators are expensive, thus making it desirable to reuse them. Various procedures have been employed to clean applicators, including placing the applicator in a pail of cleaning solution and swirling it around until the nap is clean. This method often results in an improper cleaning of the nap which causes paint to build up on the surface of the nap. If this occurs, the build up results in imperfections on the surface of the nap. These imperfections can be seen on the painted surface when the applicator is subsequently used. Further, this method of cleaning an applicator becomes very messy because the operator must physically hold the paint-filled applicator while it is being cleaned.
Another method of cleaning a paint roller applicator includes placing the paint roller applicator within a container that is surrounded by a plurality of spray nozzles that impinge high pressurized liquid onto the surface of the nap. Devices used to practice this method generally require numerous components and prove to be quite expensive.
Other methods of cleaning paint roller applicators include inserting the applicator within a device, applying pressurized fluid to one end of the device and then ailowing the pressurized fluid to cleanse the nap. Devices utilizing this method have been found to insufficiently clean the nap and are also difficult to maneuver in tight spaces, for example, when a person is cleaning at the kitchen sink and the paint roller cleaning device tends to keep falling over. Further, if a person attempts to use one of these conventional devices near an outside water tap, it will tend to fall over and the dirty pressurized fluid will be directed onto undesirable surfaces, such as the side of a house. Moreover, with these devices, it is difficult to ascertain when the applicator is thoroughly clean.
Alternatively, a person could throw the applicator away, but because painting contractors and homeowners desire to reuse applicators for numerous projects, this method can become costly to the operator. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a paint roller applicator cleaner structure that maximizes the life of the applicator, allows the operator to set the cleaner assembly upright over a drain and turn the water on and let the cleaner assembly clean the applicator without human intervention. It is further desirable to provide a paint roller cleaner assembly that provides a visual indication of when the applicator is substantially clean. It is also desirable to provide a paint roller cleaner assembly that allows users to clean applicators as the applicator for a large roller may vary in design.
Accordingly, it is further desirable to provide a paint roller cleaner assembly that minimizes the number of components used in the assembly, significantly cleans the applicator nap so that it can be repeatedly reused, is connectable to commonly used water supply sources, for example a water hose, and is operable to stand upright in various environments with minimum human intervention so that a person does not have to attend to the cleaning device while the cleaning process ensues. It is further desirable to provide a paint roller cleaner device that easily indicates to the operator when the paint roller cleaner applicator is clean.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a paint roller cleaner assembly that overcomes the problems associated with conventional paint roller cleaners. Such paint roller cleaner and method of operating the same should be simple in design and should allow an operator to clean various sizes of applicators in various work environments.
A first preferred form of the present invention provides a paint roller cleaner assembly having a cylindrical structure operable to receive a paint roller applicator, the cylindrical structure having a central longitudinal axis and an opening for receiving a handle. A cap covers one end of the cylindrical structure and a fluid inlet is located within the cap for receiving pressurized fluid for cleansing the applicator. Connected to a distal end of the cylindrical structure is a detachable base having a plurality of legs and a centrally located outlet port that is operable to provide fluid back pressure. The cylindrical structure is operable to provide a visual indication when the applicator is clean.
A second preferred form of the present invention includes a paint roller cleaner device comprising a cylindrical tube that is operable to receive a paint roller applicator that needs to be cleaned. A cap covers one end of the cylindrical tube and has a fluid inlet operable to receive the pressurized fluid for washing the paint roller applicator. A detachable base is connectable to the tube and has a plurality of outwardly extending legs and a centrally located outlet port.
A third preferred form of the present invention provides a method of cleaning a paint roller comprising the steps of providing a paint roller, a cylindrical structure, and a base. The cylindrical structure is connected to a fluid supply and a paint applicator that needs to be cleaned is inserted within the cylindrical structure. The applicator is spaced a predetermined distance from a fluid inlet opening and an outlet opening and the base is then connected to the cylindrical structure. The applicator is then flushed with pressurized fluid, and an operator visually inspects the flushing of the applicator and turns off the pressurized fluid when the applicator has been cleaned to a predetermined condition.
Other forms of the present invention include utilizing a variety of connecting means to selectively attach the base to the cylindrical structure.
From the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.